TW / Depression + Suicide

Thread: This week is my two year anniversary of my attempt and the lowest point of my life. There was so much pain and anguish hidden under these smiles. I post them as a reminder to check in + support your friends and loved ones. 1/8

#MentalHealth

I deleted most photos from September + October 2018. There’s a lot of pain in looking at these again after burying them, but I hope you all are able to see what many others couldn’t see in these photos — depression hides, it’s sneaky, it torments those you least “expect” to. 2/8

I was the person people were “shocked” to hear about because I smiled & laughed so much. I always put others first before myself. I did everything I could to possibly hide that I was constantly in pain and was drowning in my hateful thoughts. 3/8

Depression doesn’t necessarily affect those you “expect” so maybe it’s time to stop putting expectations on people and acknowledge the fact that people are HUMAN. Depression + mental illness don’t care how happy you are and/ or how much you smile. 4/8

Although it seems like it’s not harmful, the expectations I’ve described still fall under stigma. And I’m posting this thread because: we need awareness and I don’t want others to go through my experiences with stigma too. 5/8

Also I’ve really come a long way. I can’t believe all that has happened in the past two years. Sometimes I wake up and it still feels like a dream.... but two years later I still struggle, more than you think. 6/8

There is no magical “get well” pill(s) for mental illness(es), I still have to alter and change prescriptions years later and the side-effects are exhausting. Depression (and my other mental illnesses) is more than just feeling “off” or the generic “sad.” 7/8

I hope this thread helps you understand where I’m coming from and you’ve learned something today. There have been a lot of emotions, thoughts, and even painful memories I’ve been reflecting on. Thanks for reading and listening. 8/8

Last tweet (sorry): this is probably why I’ve been distant the past few days and likely will be this week. Remember to be kind to yourself today and this week